Mas des Volques Volcae X 2010

Type: Rhone Blend Red

Winery: Mas des Volques

Region: France > Rhone Valley

Red Wine

 

Rhone Report 92
"The first vintage from proprietor Nicolas Souchon and a brilliant effort, the 2010 Mas des Volques Volcae X, a blend of Grenache, Syrah, and Carignan fermented with 100% stem inclusion, offers up classic southern France styled qualities of pepper, garrigue, olive tapenade, and herb-laced red and black fruits. Full-bodied and beautifully polished on the palate, with excellent concentration and an overall classy, pure feel, this knockout 2010 will shine for 4-5 years, if not longer.

Coming from the new Duché d'Uzès appellation, which was just awarded AOC status this summer and is located 40 kilometers west of Avignon and north of Costières-de-Nîmes, these knockout wines are made by Nicolas Souchon, who is the assistant winemaker at Clos Saint Jean."~JD

D'Esclans 'Whispering Angel' Rose 2011

Type: Rose

Winery: D'Esclans 'Whispering Angel'

Region: France > Provence

Pink/Blush Wine

 

Wine Spectator 90
"This elegant wine displays a sense of power behind the delicate flavors of dried cherry, licorice, cream and spice. Finishes with notes of dried mango and hints of sage honey. Drink now. 1,5000 cases imported."~KM

International Wine Cellar 90
"Light peach skin color. Intensely perfumed aromas of redcurrant, strawberry, blood orange and rhubarb, with suave floral and mineral overtones. This lively, precise wine offers tangy citrus and red berry flavors and a silky texture. Finishes tangy and precise, with very good energy and lingering florality. In the context of this estate's high-end offerings, which are all excellent, this is a steal."

"Pale salmon in color, crisp with fresh delicate strawberry fruit and a long finish. The new benchmark for Provence rose. 73% Grenache, 9% Cinsault, 8.5% Syrah, 5.5% Mourvedre, 4%" ~ Winery Notes

Forbes Magazine
"This showcases D’Esclans’s style: nuanced and ripe, with a finely tuned tension between berry fruit and flower blossom and acidity. Don’t let the pale salmon color fool you: It packs a sneaky flavor punch."

Jancis Robinson 16.5/20
"The all stainless steel cuvee from this rose specialist. Lighter, fresher, tarter than the others on the palate but there is still some delicacy and herbiness on the nose. The blend is said to include all of Grenache, Cinsault, Vermentino, Tibouren, Syrah, Carignan and Mourvedre. This is much more elegant than the first vintages of this bottling. It's not cheap but it is very well made. Just slightly astringent on the finish - lower proportion of free run juice presumably."

Chateau Senejac Haut Medoc 2010

Type: Bordeaux Red

Winery: Chateau Senejac

Region: France > Bordeaux

Red Wine

 

Wine Enthusiast 93
"This chateau is under the same ownership as Saint-Julien’s Château Talbot. The wine is firm, fruity, rich and concentrated, showing all the best qualities of 2010. There is a complex array of black fruits which are sustained by the firm, solid tannins. Age for at least 6–7 years."~RV

James Suckling 92
"Really ripe almost jammy sweet fruit with raspberries, black currant and vanilla. Some fresh citrusy notes too. Full on the palate with ripe fruit and soft texture. Fine smooth tannins and good length. This chateau always makes serious wine."

Neal Martin 91
"Tasted at the Crus Bourgeois 2010 tasting in London. The Senejac has a superb bouquet with vigorous blackberry, wild strawberry and tobacco-tinged aromas that soar from the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with grippy, dry tannins. There is plenty of substance here with a dash of black pepper and cedar on the finish. Very St. Estephe like: this is an excellent cru bourgeois. Drink now-2018. Tasted September 2012."

Michel Gassier Nostre Pais Blanc 2011

Type: Other White Wines

Winery: Michel Gassier

Region: France > Costieres de Nimes

White Wine

 

Robert Parker 93
"I know some readers will find it hard to believe, but the 2011 Nostre Pais Blanc’s aromas and rich, honeyed, full-bodied texture reminded me of the famous white Chateauneuf du Pape made by Beaucastel, which sells for three or more times the price. An amazing blend of 90% Grenache Blanc, 5% Roussanne and 5% Viognier aged six months in French oak, the Roussanne component jumps from the glass, offering notes of acacia flowers, honeysuckle, white peach, quince and pineapple. The flamboyant, intense aromatics are followed by a full-bodied, exuberant, dry white wine that must be tasted to be believed. I suspect this offering has some aging potential, but why risk it given how beautiful it is showing at present. I recommend consuming it over the next several years."

Rhone Report 93
"A knockout white (as well as an absurd value) that needs to be on everyone's short list of wines to seek out, the 2011 Michel Gassier Costieres-de-Nimes Nostre Pais Blanc is a blend of 90% Grenache Blanc, 5% Roussanne, and 5% Viognier, with half being aged and fermented in barrel. It delivers fantastic aromatics of grilled peach, citrus, and lime-laced qualities supported by richer notions of brioche, vanilla, and a touch of herb. Every bit as good on the palate, with a full-bodied, beautifully structured mouth feel that gains richness and depth with air, this juicy, fresh, and very long white needs to be purchased by the case. It will drink well for 3-5 years, if not longer."

Eric Herault 'Cuvee Tradition' Chinon 2010

Type: Other Red Wines

Winery: Eric Herault

Region: France > Loire

Red Wine

 

Wine Spectator 92
"Dark and racy, with an espresso streak running through the core of blackberry, black currant and maduro tobacco notes. The long, tar- and olive-filled finish remains lively thanks to savory herb and sanguine notes. Drink now through 2020. 1,500 cases made."

Chateau La Tour de Mons Margaux 2009

Type: Bordeaux Red

Winery: Chateau La Tour de Mons

Region: Bordeaux > Margaux

Red Wine

 

Wine Spectator 92-95
"Bright blackberry and sweet currant aromas follow through to a full body, silky and refined, with an excellent density and a long, long finish. Soild and polished. Best ever from here"

Domaine de la Colline St-Jean Vacqueyras 2010

Type: Rhone Blend Red

Winery: Domaine de la Colline St-Jean

Region: France > Rhone Valley

Red Wine

 

Rhone Report 93
"A gorgeous Vacqueyras that's a blend of 70% Grenache, 25% Syrah and 5% Mourvedre aged 70% in cement tank and 30% in barrique, the 2010 Domaine de la Colline Saint Jean Vacqueyras is exotic and perfumed, yielding creamy blackberry, raspberry, lavender, spring flowers, and green peppercorn aromatics that soar from the glass. Beautifully complex and nuanced, with a full-bodied, polished texture, impeccable balance, and an overall fresh, yet decadently rich profile, this knockout 2010 should be purchased by the cases, and consumed over the coming decade. Brilliant stuff and this screaming value is well worth the effort to track down."~JD

Wine Spectator 90
"Plump and fleshy, with layers of linzer torte, currant confiture and cherry preserves laced with toasted anise and backed by a long, graphite-filled finish. Offers nice grip. Drink now through 2017. 5,000 cases made."~JD

Domaine Grand Veneur Cotes du Rhone Reserve 2010

Type: Rhone Blend Red

Winery: Domaine Grand Veneur

Region: France > Rhone

Red Wine

 

Robert Parker 90
"The 2010 Cotes du Rhone Reserve (a blend of 70% Grenache, 20% Syrah and 10% Cinsault, with nearly 10,000 cases imported) is outstanding. Dense purple, with notes of roasted meats, black raspberries, blackberries, licorice and lavender, this wine is just terrific. Medium to full-bodied, rich and certainly far deeper and more concentrated than one has any reason to expect from a wine that sells for $15 (the taste is more like one for $35 to $50), this is a winner that will drink well for 4-5 years. "

Rhone Report 91
"Surpassing the excellent '09 by a fair bit, the inky colored 2010 Domaine Grand Veneur Cotes du Rhone Reserve, a blend of 70% Grenache, 20% Syrah, and 10% Cinsault, delivers textbook, classical aromas of black cherry and blackberry styled fruits that are intermixed with notions of licorice, garrigue, lavender, and dusty minerality. Thrillingly concentrated and fresh on the palate, with beautiful purity, a polished texture, and ripe tannin, this Chateauneuf-du-Pape look alike benefits from a decant, and should have upwards of a decade of prime drinking. A crazy value, this is a no brainer case purchase."

Pierre Amadieu Vacqueyras La Grangeliere 2011

Type: Rhone Blend Red
Winery: Pierre Amadieu
Region: France > Rhone

Red Wine

 

Rhone Report 91-93+
"One of the top barrel samples, the 2011 Pierre Amadieu Vacqueyras La Grangeliére checks in as a blend of 80% Grenache and 20% Syrah that is aged 60% in tank, and 40% in 2-year-old barrels. Ripe, textured, and gorgeously rich, it offers up notions of bing cherry, licorice, leather, and spice-box to go with a fleshy, full-bodied palate. This will be a big 2011, and as with most wines from this vintage, it should be approachable on release. I suspect it will drink well for 7-8 years or more."

International Wine Cellar 90-92
"Bright ruby-red. Sexy, highly perfumed aromas of raspberry and cherry, with an Asian spice element building with air. Silky and seamless on the palate, offering juicy red fruit flavors and a lithe pinot-like texture and elegance. A floral note comes up with air and carries through the long, penetrating finish. Shows the elegance of the best '11s to full effect."~JR

Chateau de La Chaize Brouilly 2009

Type: Burgundy Red

Winery: Chateau de La Chaize

Region: France > Odenas

Red Wine

 

Wine Enthusiast 91
"This wine has a warm structure that's packed with black cherry flavor and finished with acidity."

French Macaroons

TOTAL TIME:1 hr

Prep: 25 min

Inactive Prep:--

Cook: 35 min

YIELD:6 to 8 servings

LEVEL: Easy

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar

7/8 cups almond flour

1/2 cup egg whites

2 tablespoons sugar

3 drops food coloring

1/4 cup water

EASY BUTTERCREAM:

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
• 1 tablespoon hot water

• 1 teaspoon instant coffee
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.Stir together the confectioners' sugar and almond flour and sift it through a tammie or very open mesh strainer. In a mixer with a whip attachment, whip the whites until frothy. Add the sugar (and food coloring if using) and whip until stiff. Add 1/3 of the almond mixture and fold part way in. Add another 1/3 and fold partway in. Add final 1/3 and fold in leaving a few specks of egg whites. It will look like deflated marshmallow. Place a pastry bag with a close pin holding it shut in a tall round container folding the edge over the rim of the container to fill it easily. Pipe dots of meringue at each corner to stick down some parchment paper on a sheet pan. Pipe rows of kisses 1-inch each (size of a quarter) one half inch apart. Bake about 17 minutes until very light brown. Pour 1/4 cup water under the parchment paper at both ends of the sheet to steam them loose. Let cool and peel off.Easy Buttercream: In a mixer with a whip attachment whip the butter very well, scraping the bowl often until it's light and fluffy. Add the confectioners' sugar and mix on low. Drizzle in the flavorings with the hot water. Chill up to a week until ready to use, then bring to room temperature.Pipe macaroons with buttercream and make little sandwiches. Keep in a covered box chilled.

French Style Grilled Potato Salad

TOTAL TIME: 50 min

Prep: 15 min

Inactive Prep: 15 min

Cook: 20 min

YIELD:4 servings

LEVEL:Easy

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 pounds small new potatoes (red and yellow), scrubbed
• 1/2 cup olive oil, divided
• Salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons whole grain mustard

• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1 small red onion, halved and thinly sliced
• 8 cornichon, finely diced
• 2 tablespoons capers, drained
• 1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh chervil, for garnish

Directions

Cover potatoes with water in a medium saucepan. Add 2 tablespoons salt. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, and simmer until tender, about 8 minutes. Drain potatoes and let cool and slice in half.

Heat the grill to medium.

In a large bowl toss the potatoes with 1/4 cup of the oil and season with salt and pepper. Place the potatoes on the grill, cut-side down and grill until lightly golden brown, about 4 minutes. Turn the potatoes over and continue grilling until just cooked through, about 4 minutes longer.

While the potatoes are grilling, whisk together the vinegar, mustards, and 1/4 cup oil in a large bowl, add the red onion, cornichon and capers and stir to combine.

Remove the potatoes from the grill and immediately add to the bowl with the other ingredients and gently stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper. Let sit at room temperature at least 15 minutes before serving. Garnish with chopped chervil.

French Toast with Rum Bananas

TOTAL TIME: 27 min

Prep: 15 min

Inactive Prep:--

Cook: 12 min

YIELD:4 servings

LEVEL:Easy

Ingredients

• 4 large eggs
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 pinches ground cinnamon
• 4 (1/2 to 3/4-inch-thick) slices brioche, challah, cinnamon raisin bread or any moist and fluffy bread you like
• 2 tablespoons butter
• Orange-Rum Bananas, recipe follows

ORANGE-RUM BANANAS:

• 2 tablespoons rum
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons orange juice
• 2 large bananas sliced thinly on an angle

Directions

Beat the eggs, milk, sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon together in a mixing bowl until well blended. Pour the egg mixture into a baking pan large enough to give you room to turn and soak the bread. (A 13 by 9-inch pan works well.)

Lay the bread slices in the egg mixture and let them soak, turning them several times, until the bread has soaked up all the egg. Turn them gently so they don't break apart on you.

Heat the butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-low heat. When it starts to bubble, lay the soaked bread in the pan. Cook, turning once, until the bread is nicely browned and the egg in the center of each slice is cooked through, about 12 minutes. Serve warm with the Orange-Rum Bananas.

Note: If your skillet isn't large enough to hold all the bread slices at once, cook them in batches. Before you start your first batch, preheat your oven to 200 degrees F (or "Warm"). Keep the cooked slices warm on a baking sheet in the oven while you cook the rest.

Heat rum, sugar, butter and orange juice in a large skillet until the butter is melted. Add the bananas. Bring to a boil over medium heat, then lower the heat so the sauce is bubbling gently. Cook until the bananas are softened, about 4 minutes.

Yield: 4 servings

French Green Bean Salad

TOTAL TIME:48 hr 30 min

Prep: 15 min

Inactive Prep:48 hr

Cook: 15 min

YIELD:6 servings

LEVEL:Easy

Ingredients

MARINATED LEMONS:

• 3 lemons, thinly sliced
• 1/4 red onion, thinly sliced
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 2 teaspoons sea salt
• 3 sprigs fresh oregano
• 1 finger hot chile, halved lengthwise
• Extra-virgin olive oil

SALAD:

• 1 cup walnuts
• 1 pound green beans
• Ice water, for chilling
• 8 slices bacon, diced
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

For the lemons: Toss the lemons and onions with the sugar and salt in a medium bowl. Put the oregano and chile in a glass jar, and then add the lemons and onions and pack tightly. Fill the jar with olive oil. Close the jar and give it a good shake, and then add more oil if there is still room. Close the jar again and refrigerate for 2 days to marinate. Dice 15 slices of the lemons and all the onions.

For the salad: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Toast the walnuts on a baking sheet for about 10 minutes. Let cool.

Blanch the green beans in a large pot of boiling water for 1 minute. Drain and immediately plunge into an ice bath. Drain.

Heat a large frying pan over medium heat and fry the bacon until crispy, about 10 minutes. Drain on paper towels.

Add the lemons, onions, green beans, walnuts, bacon and tomatoes to a salad bowl. Drizzle with some oil from the marinated lemons and season with salt and black pepper. Toss and serve.

French Onion Soup with Port Wine

"This soup is delicious and rich. We like it best on cold days. You can use more or less broth depending on how thick you like your French Onion Soup. Also try making with a Chardonnay as a delicious variation."





Prep Time: 10 Min

Cook Time: 1 Hr 25 Min

Ready In: 1 Hr 35 Min

Original Recipe Yield 5 servings

Ingredients
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons olive oil
6 white onions, sliced into thin rings
1 clove garlic, minced
1 pinch salt
1 1/2 teaspoons ground black pepper
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon dried thyme
1/3 cup port wine
1 (32 ounce) carton beef stock
salt and ground black pepper to taste
5 slices French bread
5 slices Swiss cheese
1/4 cup shredded Parmagiano-Reggiano cheese

Directions

1. Melt the butter with the olive oil in a large pot over medium-low heat. Add the onion slices and garlic to the pot; season with a pinch of salt and black pepper. Cook the onions in the oil mixture until caramelized, stirring every 10 minutes to keep from browning too quickly, about 1 hour.

2. Stir the brown sugar and thyme into the caramelized onions; allow the sugar to melt into the onion mixture, about 2 minutes. Pour the wine over the onions and bring to a boil while scraping the browned bits of food off of the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon; continue simmering another 5 minutes. Add the beef stock; cook together another 10 minutes. Season to taste with more salt and pepper, if desired.

3. Preheat the oven's broiler.

4. Ladle the soup into 5 oven-safe crocks arranged onto a baking sheet. Top the soup with a slice of French bread; cover with a slice of Swiss cheese and sprinkle with some of the Parmagiano-Reggiano cheese.

5. Melt the cheese under the broiler until browned, 2 to 3 minutes.